France rape horror verdict: Gisele Pelicot's ex-husband declared guilty of rapes & all charges against him
By Shweta Kumari | First Published Dec 19, 2024, 2:28 PM ISTA french court on Thursday declared Dominique Pelicot (72), the ex-husband of Gisele Pelicot, guilty of aggravated rape and all other charges against him.
A french court on Thursday declared Dominique Pelicot (72), the ex-husband of Gisele Pelicot, guilty of aggravated rape and all other charges against him, in a case that shocked the world. A panel of five judges convicted Dominique Pelicot of aggravated rape of Gisele Pelicot and also found him guilty of the attempted aggravated rape of the wife of one of the co-accused, Jean Pierre Marechal, Cillia, and taking, distributing indecent images of his daughter, Caroline, and his daughters-in-law, Aurore and Celine.
Dominique Pelicot showed no emotion as the judge delivered his verdict.
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Dominique Pelicot and his 50 co-defendants had assembled to hear their verdicts and sentences at a court in Avignon, France.
Pelicot's ex-husband of 50 years, Dominique Pelicot, has pleaded guilty to drugging her repeatedly for almost a decade to rape her, and to offer up her unconscious body for sex to dozens of strangers he had met online, while videoing the abuse.
Prosecutors have demanded the maximum 20-year prison sentence for him, and terms of between four to 18 years for the other 50 defendants, almost all of whom are accused of raping Pelicot while she lay comatose in her bed.
Pelicot, 72, waived her right to anonymity and asked for the trial to be held in public, with the videos aired in court, saying she hoped this would help other women to speak up.
France rape horror
In a case that shocked France and the world, Dominique Pelicot, a retired EDF employee, drugged her wife occasionally and let 72 other men to rape her for 92 times in last 10 years. The abuse came to light only in 2020.
Dominique P. is accused of orchestrating a series of brutal rapes, with 50 men, in addition to himself, facing charges related to the abuse. Due to chilling details of the crime, the case has been described as a "horrible ordeal" for the victim, who discovered the abuse only in 2020 and has no recollection of the events, as stated by her lawyer, Stephane Babonneau.
According to police investigations, a staggering 92 rapes were committed by 72 men, with 51 of the perpetrators identified. The accused range in age from 26 to 74, and it is alleged that they repeatedly violated the woman, who was heavily sedated and thus unaware of the assaults. The abuse began in 2011 near Paris and continued after the couple relocated to Mazan, Provence.
The investigation into Dominique P. began in September 2020 when he was caught secretly filming under women's skirts at a shopping center. Authorities discovered hundreds of images and videos of his unconscious wife on his computer, most of which depicted her in a fetal position during the assaults. These images allegedly showed the woman being violated by numerous men in their home.
Dominique P. has confessed to drugging his wife with powerful tranquilizers and recruiting strangers online to engage in intercourse with her. The abuse reportedly began in 2011, shortly after the couple's move from Paris to Mazan. While many of the accused rapists participated only once, some were involved in multiple incidents, with one individual reportedly engaging in the abuse up to six times.
In addition to the current charges, Dominique P. faces allegations related to a 1991 murder and rape, which he denies, as well as an attempted rape in 1999, which he admitted following DNA testing. His lawyer, Beatrice Zavarro, has stated that he is prepared to face his family and wife during the trial.
Experts have indicated that while Dominique P. does not appear to be suffering from mental illness, he exhibits a disturbing need to exert control over the female body. The trial is set to conclude on December 20.
A total of 51 men are on trial in Avignon, accused of rape and assault alongside Dominique Pelicot. They have little in common; their ages range from 26 to 74, some have children and some have been convicted for other crimes.
Their ranks include a nurse, a journalist, a prison warden, a councillor, a soldier, lorry drivers and farm workers.
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